C'lestia
C'lestia is the Hamalfite Goddess of the Sun and ultimately life. In both the traditional and modern view she is held to be equal in power and neccesity as her sister: L'wna. In the modern Celestial Cult she and her sister are regarded has pre-dating the universe where as traditionally she and sister were born at the universe's first light. In other context they are the anti-thesis to emptiness, darkness, and druj. Origin C'lestia worship evolved out of primitive sky worship. Early finds regarding a sky-god mention a number of names that may be attributed as the early root of C'lestia. Including, but not limited to: Salesta, Slest, Shalatia, Cest, Cet. Early worship for C'lestia was unlikely to rely on dedicated holy places leading to the suggestion that she was a universal diety. Scholars in the Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha suggested that Celestia's domain - like L'wna - is a wordly inclusive temple where sacred prayers and rites can be practiced where ever and so long as her heavenly avatar is revealed she will recieve and see. C'lestia is held as being the oldest God in the Hamalfite pantheon as suggested by a wide-range of ancient artifacts perhaps dedicated to her. Ritual totems found in ancient sacrificial pyres have been located in the south of the Caliphate and buried in the plains of western Aea where it's thought the earliest Hamalfite ancestors ranged at one point. There aren't any records ascribing to what sort she was worshipped, but it may be gleamed from several statue offerings that she may have been asked to grant fertility, wisdom, patience, or other strengths alongside her sister. The evolution into a semi-centralized worship arised in the central Hamalfite kingdom of Aul or Nur who had built a sandstone temple decorated in her honor. It has been abandoned however and swallowed by the sands. Dietific Origins The origins of Celestia has evolved as Hamalfite religion has evolved, and with the centralization and concentration of previous dieties into C'lestia and L'wna themselves so has the context of their origin. Traditional Hamalfite view To the followers of the old cults, C'lestia and L'wna were born on the first breath of the universe with the procreation of two spirits, Nir and Innan. The product of their copulation releasing on the single breath the seeds of the universe, which mixed and fertilized to bring forth life. In the insant after C'lestia and L'wna materialized, the strongest of the spirits created by the two. Nir and Innan sacrificed themselves to L'wna and C'lestia merging themselves with their daughters whose power expanded to create more. In the explosion of magical energies and the light of the stars their power pierced the heart of emptiness and forced it to bleed, creating the physical realm as they built the heavenly kingdom above. On the physical plain life grew and C'lestia and L'wna took many to be companion gods in the Kingdom of Heaven, and to allocate the powers of creation to combat emptiness and the darkness. Creation according to the Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha The Ayba'dhja Asiaha'wabha dismisses the claim that C'lestia and L'wna were made as a final act of creation and sacrifice of two earlier spirits. The Magi of the Celestia Cult claim that instead C'lestia and L'wna have existed always, if in a catatonic state before they initiated the passage of time. In reference to the old story of the God's creation they claim that Nir and Innan were merely early avatars of C'lestia and L'wna in a more child-like or adolescent stage. Originally the act of procreation had been overlooked by the early Magi. And on the Fourth Succession of the Ayayba'dhja to Isir al-Haison the Cult re-examined the early myth and their own interpretation over concerns of promotion of incest, re-drafting their creation and the universe's as being a spontanious act of creativity by both C'lestia and L'wna independently. Worship Worship of C'lestia differs between region, period, or cult adherence. The old Hamalfite Cults hold a great deal of respect for C'lestia and often times hold C'lestia as being the God in command of their own diety, as a king commands a noble. Else where she may be regarded as equal to other gods and prayers made to her must be made out directly to her, as she has the power to only fulfill requests made to her if related to her power. Where as in the other respect the other gods act as a conduit to recieve and send the prayers to C'lestia or L'wna if not made directly to her. Though C'lestia was considered a God who has no one house to worship there are few shrines dedicated to her. The oldest known structures or locations dedicated to her are only roughly 4,800 to 5,000 years old with the oldest structure being the Ziggurat of Nur. Ziggurat of Nur The Ziggurat of Nur was commisioned by King Aul or Nur in honor of the Goddess C'lestia in his forgotten city of Nur. The city of Nur itself was lost to the decay of time and destroyed by his nomadic rivals, the pyramid he dedicated remains as the only testiment to the city's existence. Buried by the sands it was preserved as the oldest standing structure dedicated to C'lestia and L'wna. The Ziggurat itself is considered to be haunted by the ghosts of the Aul's subjects and is avoided. Shrine al-Suramid The small shrine at Suram marks the approximate location to where Mombadin recieved the word of C'lestia and L'wna to rally the Hamalfite people 800 years ago. Given the demographic of the region the shrine has remained small as a reflection of how much money enters the area. Its importance is merely supported by the Magi as the location where the doctrines of C'lestia were first passed down. Masjd al-Haisonid The larger Masjd in Haison serves as the largest dedicated structure to the sister goddesses in use. Serving as the seat of the Ayayba'dhja and the Celestial Cult it is the most prestigous and politically important religious structure of the Celestial Cult. Icons C'lestia is often represented plainly with the sun and all temples dedicated to her and her sister must have an open view of the sky in order to let in the natural light of the sun and for the sister's presence to be always felt with no artificial symbol. To the Celestial Cult this makes the sister's power and presence stronger than the pagan cults of the old gods and that the sister's presence is more handily and consistently present all over the world. In the absense of light C'lestia may be represented with a golden sun with gold as her associated metal. Rubies and warm-colored gems like-wise. When in painting C'lestia is represented as a magnificent white horse with a flowing mane, either solid colored or with the infinite colors of light. C'lestia may also be represented as a beautiful pale-faced woman. C'lestia is also associated with the Fire Bird. Fifty Names of Divinity 1. C'lestia 2. Il-Roheemi 3. Il-Herauni 4. Il-Shadazadi 5. Il-Maseri 6. Vijayai 7. Haersai 8. Il-Hesoni 9. Il-amai 10. Yazadi 11. Veshnai 12. Ab-Tumi 13. Ahui 14. Babai 15. Yergeai 16. Ishim Sibuti 17. Iblomaci 18. Il-Iblomaci 19. Khorhmandi 20. Fashogari 21. Frashi-Gar 22. Celi 23. The White 24. The Pure 25. Sali 26. Salusi 27. Solusi 28. Jamagai 29. Il-Mohareeni 30. Il-Moochadsi 31. Saeti ib-Adni 32. Saeti ib Il-Aini 33. Ib-Aliyah 34. Saeti ib-Alya 35. Saeti ib-Atifa 36. Bashira 37. Buhjah 38. Barakah 39. Il-Bariah 40. Dhukai 41. Durriyah 42. Il-Fadiya 43. Il-Hamidah 44. Habibah 45. Il-Hanan 46. Saet ib-Imani 47. Ib-Khulood 48. Majida 49. Tia-i 50. Cantraloti Category:New Voldrania Category:Haisonuuna Category:Religion